Heat and power producing apparatus.



J. D. KNEEDLER.

HEAT AND POWER PRODUCING APPARATUS,

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 3, 1917.

Patented Mar. 18, 1919.

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UNITED s'rATEs PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN D. KNEEDLER, OF SIOUX CITY, IOWA, AS'SIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO BUELCOUCH,

OF SIOUX CITY, IOWA.

- HEAT AND POWER PRODUCING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 18, 1919.

Application filed March 3, 1917. Serial No; 152,397.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN D. KNEEDLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Sioux City, in the county of Woodbury and State of Iowa,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Heat and PowerProducing Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to a heat and power producing apparatus and hasfor its principal object to provide a device of this character wherebyany desired amount of heat and power may be produced and subsequentlyutilized, as desired, for heating purposes and for power purposes, suchas driving engines and the like.

Another object of the invention is to introduce compressed air into anexpansion chamber and to provide electrical means for expanding thecompressed air within the expansion chamber.

A further object is to provide a series of heating coils designed to bearranged within the expansion chamber, suitable electrical means beingconnected in circuit with these coils, whereby the compressed air withinthe expansion chamber may be expanded to any desired degree of pressure.

A still further object'of the invention is to pass the compressed airthrough a cooling or condensation chamber before it is introduced intothe expansion chamber.

With these and other objects in view, as will appear as the descriptionproceeds, the invention comprises various novel features ofconstruction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be more fullydescribed hereinafter and set forth with particularity in the appendedclaims.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved heat and power producingapparatus.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the expansion chamber with the cover plateremoved, and

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 33 ofFig. 1.

Similar characters of reference are used to denote like parts throughoutthe following description and the accompanying drawmgs.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the reference numeral 1indicates an expansion chamber, which in this instance is of circularformation and 1s provided at lts opposite side edges withcircumferential flanges 2 and 3, respectively.

- Arranged concentrically within the expansion chamber 1 is a sleeve 4that is securely attached to the rear wall 5 of the expansion chamberand has its opposite end closed by a cover plate 6, this plate beingsecured to the sleeve by screws 7 Positioned within the expansionchamber between the sleeve 4 and the inner wall of the chamber 1 are aplurality of heat radiating coils 8, and each is shown to consist of astud 9 that is threaded into the rear wall 5, a suitable insulatingsleeve 10 being mounted thereon and securely held in position byretaining nuts 11. A conductor wire 12-is successively wound around eachof the insulating sleeves 10 to produce a series of heating coils bywhich any desired amount of heat may be produced within the expansionchamber.

As shown, the expansion chamber is provided with a suitable supportingbase 13 and is provided at the top with a head portion 11 that isprovided with a transversely extending recess 15. A head block 16 ismounted upon the head portion 1 1 between the side flanges 2 and 3 andis securely held in position through the medium of a pair of studs 17,each of which is provided intermediate its ends with a collar 18 that isdesigned to bear upon an insulating washer 19. Each of the studs 17 ispositioned within insulating sleeves 20 and 21 that are positionedwithin the head block and the head portion respectively. Each end ofeach stud is provided with a pair of nuts 22 whereby the terminal endsof the conductor wires 12 and 23 may be connected thereto. The conductorwire 23 leads to a. suitable source of current 24 and is designed to becontrolled by a suitable switch 25 interposed between the battery andthe heating coils. A variable current producing device or rheostat 26 isalso connected in circuit with the controlling switch, whereby the heatradiating coils may Ilie caused to radiate any desired amount of eat. 7

A The 'head portion 14 of the expansion registers with a similar opening29 inthe head block 16, and threadedly connected to the head block is anair inlet pipe 30 by which air can be conveyed from a suitable sourceinto the expansion chamber.

Mounted upon the outside of the rear wall 5 is a double acting aircompressor 31 that is provided on its opposite sides with controllingvalves 32, each of which has connected to it an inlet pipe 33 providedwith an inwardly opening check valve 34. Each of the valves 32 isconnected to a conduit pipe 35 which in turn is connected to an air tank36, check valves 37 being provided at the opposite end of each valve 32toprevent air that has been once pumped into the air tank from escaping.

The air tank 36 has connected to it a conveyerpipe 38 in which isarranged a check valve 39, thi pipe being connected to" an air coolingand condensation chamber 40, which in turn is connected to the expansionchamber through the medium of the conduit pipe 30, and arranged withinthis pipe 30 is a suitable controlling valve 41. The air cooling chamber40 is provided with a pressure gage 42 whereby the pressure of the airwithin the tank 36 may be readily seen at all times.

The expansion chamber is also provided with a pressure gage 43 by whichthe pressure of the air within the expansion chamber may be seen.

Arranged over the open side of the expansion chamber is a cover plate 44that rests upon a suitable gasket 45 and is securely held in position bybolts 46, this cover plate forming an air-tight connect-ion between theinnersleeve 4- and the outer wall of the chamber.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that air is firstcompressed within the air tank 36 and then conveyed through A thecooling chamber 40 to the expansion Copies of this patent may beobtained for chamber where it is expanded through the medium of theelectrical heating coils to any desired degree, these coils not onlyexpanding the compressed air to a greater expansible force but alsoheating it the desired amount. As soon as the air has been heated andexpanded to the desired degree of heat and pressure, it is exhaustedfrom the expansion chamber through an exhaust port 47 to be subsequentlyused for driving an engineor for other power purposes, and also to beused for any desired heating purposes.

In the operation of the apparatus the air is unavoidably heated andexpanded as it is pumped into the tank 36 by the action of thecompressor. In order torestore the expansive force to the air prior toentering the expansion chamber, it is found desirable and necessary tocool the air to substantially a freezing point. When the cold air entersthe expansion chamber and strikes the heat- 1. A heat and powerproducing apparatus of the class described comprising an expansionchamberya core mountedwithin the expansion chamber, variable heatingmeans positioned around and within said expansion chamber, means forsupplying compressed a-ir to said expansion chamber for contact withsaid heating means for the purpose set forth-and means for refrigeratingsaid compressed air prior to its admission to said expansion chamber.

2.- A heat and power producing apparatus of the class describedcomprising an expansion chamber, a compressed air storage tank, meanscarried by aid expansion chamber for compressing the air within saidstorage tank, means connecting. said compressed air storage tank withsaid expansion chamber, refrigerating means positioned in saidconnecting means whereby the compressed air avill be cooled prior to itsadmission into said expansion chamber, and variable heating meanspositioned within said expansion chamber for expanding the cooled airintroduced intothe expansion chamber.

3. In a heat and power producing apparatus of the class described, acircular expansion chamber having inlet and outlet ponts, acheck valvearranged in said inlet port, a hollow core arranged centrally withinsaid expansion chamber to-provide' a circular space therein, andelectrical heating means positioned in said space around said core forexpanding. the air introduced into the expaiision chamber.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the:presence of two subscribing witnesses. I

i I JoHN n. KNEED-LER.

-Witnesses:

EARL E. SNELL, E. G BRowN.

five cents each-by ndtficulngthe Commissioner of-P'atenta,

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